Asian hornet hotspots revealed – as specialists warn of UK infestation
From the Kent coast to central London, the UK is currently in the midst of an invasion of dangerous Asian hornets.
Today, Britons have been warned to keep ‘vigilant’ for Asian hornets as the UK faces record numbers of the invasive insects.
Worryingly, evidence is now beginning to show that this invasive species could be in the first stages of becoming established in the UK
As this interactive map reveals, that could be bad news for people in Kent, where 38 of the 52 hornet sightings in 2023 took place.
To see if your town is at risk of becoming a hornet hotspot, pause and zoom in on the red dots to learn more about each sighting.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/17/85109001-13438467-image-a-10_1716224238816.jpg)
Experts say that Asian hornets are dangerously close to becoming established in the UK. Members of the public have been urged to be vigilant for the invasive species
For years, the number of Asian hornets in the UK remained low with only one or two being spotted each year.
However, in 2023 the number of hornet sightings suddenly exploded.
In just 12 months, The National Bee Unit destroyed 72 nests in 56 locations compared with just a single nest the year before.
As this map shows, the vast majority of those sightings were clustered along the southern coast, particularly in Kent, and East Sussex.
Conditions could be especially bad in the seaside town of Folkestone – the UK’s hornet capital – where a staggering 21 nests were destroyed in 2023.
However, Asian hornets have been spotted further North, with one nest even being destroyed in Hackney, London.
Nests have also been found and destroyed in North Yorkshire, Suffolk, Hampshire, and Dorset.
Ian Campbell, a spokesperson for the British Beekeepers Association, told MailOnline that Kent is on ‘the front line’ of the hornet invasion due to its proximity to France.
Asian hornets first appeared in Europe around 2004 when nests began to be spotted in France.
Since then, they have spread to 14 European countries and even the US where there are fears that the species has already become established.
![The Asian hornet first appeared in Europe when it reached France around 2004. Since then its population has exploded to 14 European countries and the USA (file photo)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/17/85093681-13438467-The_Asian_hornet_first_appeared_in_Europe_when_it_reached_France-a-11_1716224238818.jpg)
The Asian hornet first appeared in Europe when it reached France around 2004. Since then its population has exploded to 14 European countries and the USA (file photo)
![The Kent coast has been badly affected by Asian hornets. In 2023 the National Bee Unit removed 21 nests from the seaside town of Folkestone (pictured)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/17/85103063-13438467-The_Kent_coast_has_been_badly_affected_by_Asian_hornets_In_2023_-a-13_1716224238820.jpg)
The Kent coast has been badly affected by Asian hornets. In 2023 the National Bee Unit removed 21 nests from the seaside town of Folkestone (pictured)
Current estimates suggest that France may now be home to 500,000 nests – roughly equivalent to one nest every square kilometre.
However, in some particularly infested areas there can be up to 15 Asian hornet nests per square kilometre with several large populations on the North coast.
To make matters worse, in 2022 France experienced a ‘surge year’ which caused the Asian hornet population to grow rapidly.
And by 2023 that massive population growth spilled over into the UK’s South coast, leading to the sudden surge in sightings you can see on the map.
Mr Campbell says: ‘They’re just over the sea and the ferries and trucks travel across so that’s one route in.’
Asian hornets are also capable fliers and can travel a good distance with a wind behind them, frequently reaching the Channel Islands from France.
As long as France has a large Asian hornet population the insects will continue to arrive in the UK, but the bigger risk is that they become established here permanently.
Mr Campbell says that there is ‘a significant risk’ that Asian hornets will establish a permanent breeding population.
![Since hornets are good fliers they have been known to be blown across the channel from France to the Channel Islands. Guernsey has had a large number of nests in recent years which have required dedicated teams to destroy them (pictured)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/17/85093719-13438467-Since_hornets_are_good_fliers_they_have_been_known_to_be_blown_a-a-15_1716224238830.jpg)
Since hornets are good fliers they have been known to be blown across the channel from France to the Channel Islands. Guernsey has had a large number of nests in recent years which have required dedicated teams to destroy them (pictured)
He says: ‘They’re an apex predator, they are very successful, they are very adaptive, and the climate presents no problems for them – it’s rich pickings for them.’
Unfortunately, the signs are not looking good and early evidence suggests that Asian hornets may already be in the process of becoming established.
As the map shows, in 2024 there has already been a cluster of six hornets captured in the town of Four Oaks, East Sussex.
DNA testing of queens found in Four Oaks shows that there is a level of relatedness between them and nests found in Rye last year.
This shows that at least one next produced mated queens, called gynes, who survived the winter to create their own nests in spring.
Mr Campbell says: ‘They haven’t been blown in the wind, they haven’t come over on some sort of human transport; these ones are here.’
Each nest can produce 350 gynes, each of which has the capability to make its own new nest.
The vast majority of these will die over winter but even if as few as 30 survive the population could grow at an exponential rate.
This makes it possible for the UK to follow the same trajectory as Spain which reached 100,000 nests in just four years.
![Each nest produces 350 fertilised queens (pictured) each year, every one of these is capable of creating their own nest should they survive the winter](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/17/85093707-13438467-Each_nest_produces_350_fertilised_queens_pictured_each_year_ever-a-12_1716224238819.jpg)
Each nest produces 350 fertilised queens (pictured) each year, every one of these is capable of creating their own nest should they survive the winter
If Asian hornets do become established in the UK, the outlook for British wildlife and farmed bees could be dire.
Asian hornets have no natural predators and can survive up to latitudes of around 60 degrees which would extend their territory into most of Scotland.
Each hornet nest can eat about 11 kilos of insects in a year and they prefer to predate social insects honey bees which have little defence against these fierce hunters.
Paul Hetherington, director of fundraising and communications for the nature charity Buglife, told MailOnline that this would be ‘bad news for honey farmers as they particularly like eating bees.’
Mr Hetherington adds that this is ‘also bad news for our wild pollinators potentially pushing some of the rarer species to the verge of UK extinction.’
‘The Shrill Carder Bee for instance one of our rarest bumblebees is only found in a few localities one of which is the Thames Estuary very close to the areas of Kent already encroached upon,’ he said.
![While most sightings are limited to Kent and East Sussex, hornets have even been found in London, with one nest having been removed from Hackney (pictured)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/17/85103059-13438467-While_most_sightings_are_limited_to_Kent_and_East_Sussex_hornets-a-14_1716224238821.jpg)
While most sightings are limited to Kent and East Sussex, hornets have even been found in London, with one nest having been removed from Hackney (pictured)
![The National Bee Unit is actively trapping in Kent, North Yorkshire, and East Sussex where the risk of Asian hornets becoming established is most likely.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/17/85093679-13438467-The_National_Bee_Unit_is_actively_trapping_in_Kent_North_Yorkshi-a-17_1716224238847.jpg)
The National Bee Unit is actively trapping in Kent, North Yorkshire, and East Sussex where the risk of Asian hornets becoming established is most likely.
Today, the UK’s chief plant health officer has urged members of the public to be ‘vigilant’ for Asian hornets and report them as soon as they are seen.
It is important to distinguish between the invasive Asian hornet and the native European hornet which is not a threat to Britain’s ecology.
The Asian hornet is slightly smaller than its native counterpart and has a distinctive black body with bright yellow legs.
If you do see an Asian hornet, members of the public are encouraged to report it using the Asian Hornet Watch App which is available on iOS and Android.
The National Bee Unit is actively trapping in Kent, North Yorkshire, and East Sussex where the risk of becoming established is highest.
However, with only around 60 members some of which are seasonal, Mr Campbell says that the National Bee Unit is already stretched.
And, should the hornets become established he warns that it will become ‘nigh on impossible’ to remove them.
![Hives found in Rye (pictured) were found to be related to Asian hornet queens found in East Sussex. This shows that at least one hive was able to produce fertile queens which survived the winter - the first step of becoming established](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/20/17/85103061-13438467-Hives_found_in_Rye_pictured_were_found_to_be_related_to_Asian_ho-a-16_1716224238846.jpg)
Hives found in Rye (pictured) were found to be related to Asian hornet queens found in East Sussex. This shows that at least one hive was able to produce fertile queens which survived the winter – the first step of becoming established
There have already been eight confirmed Asian hornet sightings this year but it is highly likely that more will soon follow.
Summer is the peak season for Asian hornet activity with July, August, and September being the biggest months for sightings.
And with the species getting worryingly close to becoming established, it also becomes more likely that more will found further north than Kent.
Mr Hetherington says: ‘The sheer number of nests found and destroyed last year coupled to the lateness of those destructions means many new nests are likely to appear this year and start moving up the country.
‘There seems little reason to suspect that fewer will fly over the Channel, whilst those that bred here last year can be moving further up country.’